Philanthropists to be honored Tuesday

A nonprofit group, a corporation and six people who give as good as it gets will be honored Tuesday at the National Philanthropy Day awards lunch presented by the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The Jewish Community Foundation, The San Diego Foundation, and the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation have teamed to sponsor the day.

About 1,000 people are expected to attend the 39th annual event at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront downtown. This year’s theme, One by One, reflects not only the 11/1/11 date, but plays off the significance of one person, one group, one gesture making a difference in the community, said event chairwoman Charlene Pryor.

“The day is to celebrate those who have done good things through volunteerism or gift giving and philanthropy and hopefully inspire others,” Pryor said. “It shows how really important it is to support philanthropy and make sure we honor what’s great in the community.”

The Association of Fundraising Professionals received about 60 nominations from the community. Honorees were chosen by a committee chaired by philanthropist and Rancho La Puerta spa owner Deborah Szekely.

The honorees are:

• AJ Machado, Outstanding Celebrity Volunteer: With his Kids Crane, the Star 94.1 morning show host has collected more than $2.5 million in toys and raised more than $200,000 for nearly 150,000 Rady Children’s Hospital patients annually since 2003. Through radiothons, he has raised nearly $5 million for Rady.

• Penny Dokmo, Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer: The Rancho Bernardo resident began volunteering more than 30 years ago as a member of Junior League. She devotes her fundraising acumen to many local nonprofits that help at-risk children, families and seniors and has chaired the Rady Children’s Hospital board of trustees and served as president of the North County Philanthropy Council.

• Mary Herron, Outstanding Organizational Volunteer: A San Diego Grantmakers board member and chairwoman of the Homelessness Working Group, among other organizations, the former Coronado mayor is often referred to as the “face of philanthropy.” Of her recognition she said, “It’s an emotional high. It kind of summarizes my lifetime efforts.”

• Armando Herrera, Outstanding Youth/Student Volunteer: Already busy with football, baseball and track practices, the 15-year-old Mission Bay High School student began volunteering seven hours a week in 2010 at his neighborhood library, the new Logan Heights branch. A founding member of the library’s Teen Council, he addressed the City Council in May to oppose proposed cuts, saying, “The library has become a safe place to get my friends off the street.”

• Virginia Napierskie, Outstanding Philanthropist: Known in the philanthropic community for more than 30 years, her support of charitable causes ranges from youth and health care to the USS Midway Museum, where she has been the largest sponsor of the Midway American Patriot Award. A founding member of Grossmont Hospital Foundation, she has made more than 100 gifts to benefit patient care and capital projects at the hospital and Sharp HospiceCare.

• Carole A. Fish, Outstanding Development Professional: Principal of FISH+LEWIS Consulting and a professor in the University of San Diego’s Nonprofit Leadership and Management graduate program, her dedication to the field of fundraising spans more than 25 years. Key achievements include the $5.4 million capital campaign (Crivello Cardiovascular Center) at Scripps Memorial Hospital and the $250 million Village Center campaign for Jacobs Family Foundation. “This is kind of like a career topper, a culmination of having done a lot in my profession and reaching a point where people are recognizing what I’ve done,” she said of the honor she will receive Tuesday.